Algebra 1 is the gatekeeper to higher-level mathematics and entrance into the STEM field, but do schools offering Algebra 1 in eighth grade score better on their standardized assessments than schools offering traditionally paced courses? The purpose of the study was to examine the PSAT and SAT scores of school districts offering Algebra 1 in 8th…

Research has repeatedly demonstrated the positive effects of acceleration for gifted and talented students. This study expands the literature by not only evaluating the impact of early grade skipping on high school and college outcomes but also examining the role of postacceleration opportunities on subsequent performance. Using a representative…

Academic self-concept predicts students' future goals and is affected by a student's relative success compared with his or her peer group. This exploratory study used structural equation modeling to examine the contributions of the perceived level of difficulty of the curriculum, in addition to the contributions of social comparison and…

American students test poorly in mathematics compared to those in other developed--and in some cases, less developed--countries. While we have seen some signs of improved performance in recent years, these improvements are not yet evident among high school students. And the proportion of new college graduates who majored in math-intensive subjects…

Each year, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) offers a summer education program designed to assist students with a variety of instructional needs. The 2015 summer education program allowed students the opportunity to repeat required courses needed for promotion, to get ahead by taking required courses before the next school year, or to…

The Ingenuity program was designed to "provide Baltimore's brightest middle school students with a free, highly accelerated, and challenging mathematics and science curriculum" (Ingenuity Project, 2014). It started in 1993 at two middle schools, one on the east side of Baltimore and the second on the west, but as of SY 2014-15 the…

The Study of Exceptional Talent (SET) identifies students who exhibit extremely advanced mathematical and/or verbal reasoning abilities and helps them find the challenging educational programs they need to achieve their full potential. Specifically, students who score 700-800 on the mathematical or verbal portion of SAT I before the age of 13 are…

Characteristics of 292 youths (269 males and 23 females) identified by high scores (before the age of 13) on the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Mathematics as part of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) at Johns Hopkins University are reported. Several of the students have received Ph.D. degrees at very young ages. The young students…

A study involving 38 junior-high students and their matched controls found that use of Scholastic Aptitude Test cutoff levels was valid for determining entrance into fast-paced summer classes which were teacher-paced (in this case, literature), but not necessarily valid for motivated students in self-paced classes (in this case, algebra).…

Statistics are presented concerning background characteristics of 292 students who scored well on the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test at age 12 or younger. Discussed are the ratio of girls to boys, geographic distribution, verbal ability, parents' education level and occupational status, siblings, and educational…

This study was conducted to obtain empirical data to inform policy decisions about exempting incoming students from a first-year composition (FYC) course on the basis of Advanced Placement (AP) English exam scores. It examined the effect of avoiding first-year writing on the writing abilities of sophomore undergraduates. Two three-page writing…

Analysis of the relative contribution of age, gender, and verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities (measured by subtests of the Scholastic Aptitude Test) as predictors of success in accelerated secondary science courses found that a composite of verbal and mathematical reasoning ability was the most powerful predictor and verbal reasoning…

Two surveys were conducted to determine the impact of administration of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to students under 14 years of age. Survey I provided data from 1,846 students tested in January 1984, and on their parents; there were 1,606 parent-student matches among respondents (i.e., student and parent questionnaires from the same…